The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1887-01-21
WASHINGTON LETTER
From our Regular Correspondent

WASHINGTON. D. c.. Jan. IS, 1887.
The passage of the great Inter S at
Commerce bill, which is the result of
popular movement, beginning twenty
years ago, marks the past week IN
Congress. There was good deal Of
important legislation besides this, how
ever, such as that giving the Agricu
tural Department Executive import
auce aud its chief seat in the Cab
met; that extirpating the hierarchy
Salt Lake City, and that doubling the
militia appropriation for the year.
This last act will, doubtless, be well re-
ceived everywhere; for the time ha,
come when 1t is acknowledged that the
citizen sold!ery of the land ought to
yet been shown them.
1t was expected that the Senate
would settle the vexed question of
Commerce by Railroads as 1t did, ,abou,
the hour of midnight on Friday, but
no one knew how many Senators
would be found supporting than op-
posing the bill. 1t came trlumphanth
through by vote Of forty-lhree to Fl.
teen, although a number of Senators
who voted for the measure were DIS
satisfied with it. These decided t"st
aside their own views and follow the
dictates of their constituents, saying IN
this instance, where Legislation is ne
cessarily experimental,it is safe to give
the people the benefit of the doubt
The Inter State Commerce bill was
framed and pressed forward by men
who were mostly honest in their effort
TO relieve the people, but there are
gohd many legislators who doubt it's
efficacy. Some say the railroads will
put up their through freights instead
of reducing their way trrights, and
thus insure the equality which the law
| demands.
Now that the Anti Mormon bill has
been passed by the House, one hears
good many comments which indicate
an appreciation of the severity of the
measure. 1t not only makes polygamy
a felony, but dissolves the financial
corporations known as the Latter Day
Saints, and the Perpetual Emigration
Fund Company, and practically abolish
es all the machinery, religious or po-
litlcal, that is now employed directly
or indirectly in the maintenance of the
Mormon Church system. There are
differences of opinion as TO the wisdom
and justice of the policy, bat the
friends OF the measure just passed as
sumo that the malady is of such terri
BILE nature as to require heroic treat
ment. It's opponents say it would be
better to wait upon the slow attrilions
OF time and the pressure of public
opinion to wear the evil out.
The Republicans pledged themselves
to eradicate poly gamy in 1856, more
than thirty years ago. They held
power for nearly quarter of cen.
tury aud as Mormonsm still tiOurishes
it is left for the Democrats to perform
a duty which the Republicans neglect
ed or else could not de. OF course
every body desires that the Swim relic
OF barbarism" shall be destroyed, if il
can be done withou, straining the Con
sttution. Hon, Randolph Tucker of
Va, who reported the Anti-Mormon
bill, held that there was nothing in it
that could hurt the conscience even of
a Mormon. Ii he thought there was,
he said he would vote against it.
The State reception at the White
House on Thursday evening was gor-
geous in the gold lace of the guests of
honur, the Diplomatic Corps, with
music, gaslight, flowers and palms on
every side, a crush OF richly costumed
women and crowd of famous men,
many of them in brilliant uniforms.
Beside the official world Of the Capt. Al
about sixty persons in private life were
invited to The reception. Among these
was noticed Mns. Frank Leslie, and il
Was difitult to ltcide whelh,r she or
Mrs Stanford, the wife of the Senator